The present invention relates to towing hitches, and more particularly to a vehicular towing hitch which can be readily attached directly to an existing, standard towing hitch without the need for special adaptors, and which provides for quickly and easily changing tow ball sizes, as desired, without the need for tools.
Conventional towing hitches, often referred to as trailer hitches, most often are of the tow ball hitch type in which a tow ball extends upwardly from a mount at the rear of the towing vehicle. Such ball hitches are almost universally limited to a single ball size. In many circumstances, however, the user wishes to tow more than one type and size of vehicle. When the tow socket sizes on the towed vehicles vary in size, it then becomes necessary for the user to manually remove the currently installed tow ball and install a tow ball of the proper size for mating with the alternately towed vehicle. This not only requires tools, but it is also time consuming, inconvenient, cumbersome, and often may damage the tow balls. To many users, therefore, current towing hitches are very inconvenient, if not very irritating.
The prior art includes a number of towing hitch designs and configurations which provide for more conveniently changing tow ball sizes. However, these prior art devices, generally speaking, are not only rather complicated, but they also usually require special adaptors or installation procedures to attach them to the vehicle. This makes them more expensive than necessary, not only from a manufacturing standpoint (more parts imply more cost), but also because of the additional installation costs to the ultimate user, who often already has a standard towing hitch, or factory provisions for one, on his vehicle.
A need therefore remains for a quick change towing hitch which can quickly and easily index the desired size of tow ball into position, which can do so without the need for or use of tools, which is inexpensive, uncomplicated, versatile, especially convenient and easy to use, and which may be readily attached directly to an existing, standard towing hitch or towing hitch mount on a vehicle without the need for a special adaptor.